History of Loriga - History of Loriga by the historian António Conde on Wikipedia

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loriga
26-07-2011
Loriga was an industrial centre for textile manufacturing during the 19th century. It was one of the
few industrialized centres in the Beira Interior region, even supplanting Seia until the middle of the
20th century. [1] Only Covilhã out-preformed Loriga in terms of businesses operating from its lands;
companies such as Regato, Redondinha, Fonte dos Amores, Tapadas, Fândega, Leitão & Irmãos,
Augusto Luís Mendes, Lamas, Nunes Brito, Moura Cabral and Lorimalhas, among others. [1] The
main roadway in Loriga, Avenida Augusto Luís Mendes, is named for one of the villages most
illustrious industrialists. The wool industry started to decline during the last decades of the 20th
century, a factor that aggravated and accelerated the decline of the region. [1]
Geography
A bridge over a ravine in Loriga, with
the pastures of the valley landscape
1650 metres around the Lagoa Comprida).
Known locally as the "Portuguese Switzerland" due to its
landscape that includes a principal settlement nestled in the
mountains of the Serra da Estrela Natural Park. [2] It is
located in the south-central part of the municipality of Seia,
along the southeast part of the Serra, between several
ravines, but specifically the Ribeira de São Bento and
Ribeira de Loriga; [2] it is 20 kilometres from Seia, 80
kilometres from Guarda and 300 kilometres from the
national capital (Lisbon). A main village is accessible by
the national roadway E.N. 231, that connects directly to the
region of the Serra da Estrela by way of E.N.338 (which
was completed in 2006), or through the E.N.339, a 9.2
kilometre access that transits some of the main elevations
(960 metres near Portela do Arão or Portela de Loriga, and
The region is carved by U-shaped glacial valleys, modelled by the movement of ancient glaciers.
The main valley, Vale de Loriga was carved by longitudanal abrasion that also created rounded
pockets, where the glacial resistance was minor. Starting at an altitude of 1991 metres along the
Serra da Estrela the valley descends abruptly until 290 metres above sea level (around Vide), passing
villages such as Cabeça, Casal do Rei and Muro. The central village, Loriga, is seven kilometres
from Torre (the highest point), but the parish is sculpted by cliffs, alluvial plains and glacial lakes
deposited during millennia of glacial erosion, and surrounded by rare ancient forest that surrounded
the lateral flanks of these glaciers.
Economy
Textiles are the principal local export; Loriga was a hub
the textile and wool industries during the mid-19th century,
in addition to being subsistence agriculture responsible for
the cultivation of corn. The Loriguense economy is based
on metallurgical industries, bread-making, commercial
shops, restaurants and agricultural support services.
Vodafone Ski Resort, Serra da Estrela,
in Loriga.
While that textile industry has since dissipated, the town
began to attract a tourist trade due to its proximity to the
Serra da Estrela and Vodafone Ski Resort (the only ski
center in Portugal), which was constructed within the
parish limits.